Something New in the Legislative Wind

There was a Deseret News article published on October 24th, regarding some important new legislation which will be brought to the Utah legislative floor during the 2006 session. I had put it on the "back burner" during our heated Ogden election campaign. That doesn't mean the story wasn't important.

Now that the election smoke has cleared, I'll mention it here.

I had an informative conversation earlier this afternoon with the bill's sponsor, Rep. Peggy Wallace.

Here's the gist of her proposed new legislation, as reported by Deseret News reporter Brady Snyder, although Rep Wallace feels Brady didn't get it completely right:

The mayor of Salt Lake City and other mayors in Provo, Ogden, Murray and elsewhere could see much of their power stripped this legislative session.

A state lawmaker is seeking to rein in the duties of "strong mayors" throughout Utah, making them operate to use a corporate analogy more like a chairman of the board rather than a CEO.

Under a bill that Rep. Peggy Wallace, R-West Jordan, plans to run next year, cities of the first and second class that maintain a mayor-council form of government would have to hire a city manager to take over many of the mayor's duties.

Jobs like the hiring and firing of appointed workers, negotiating with unions and arranging the sale and use of real property would all be stripped from the mayor and handed over to the city manager.

It would be the city manager, then, that would function as the city's new CEO.

"With a good city manager there's going to be a lot more oversight on a day-to-day business," Wallace said.

The Mayor, however, wouldn't lose all power.

He or she could still work with the City Council to set policy for the city, develop new programs and concentrate on economic development.

Wallace said the specific duties assigned to the city manager as opposed to those that would fall to the mayor will be spelled out specifically in the bill so there is no confusion.

Now does this sound like a good idea? I mean we in Ogden are all witnessing the flaws of a "strong Mayoral government" in excess. The "little guy on nine" actually behaves as the Roman Republic's first emperor-dictator. "I won't stick my finger in the wind," he says. The voice of the "people" means nothing to the imperial-Roman Matt Godfrey, in spite of Thomas Jefferson's constant admonitions re the necessity of constant public input.

Besides...Ogden City has become a giant Real Estate Development Company anyway. Perhaps its time to have professionals take the management helm -- Under council control, of course.

I'm not going to comment further on this. Rep Wallace has agreed, however, to provide me copies of her proposed bill, once it's in readable and comprehensible form.

I'll definitely keep Weber County Forum readers "up to speed" on this.

I'd like to do whatever it takes to see Emperor Godfrey stay on for as many terms as he likes -- so long as his powers are restricted to cutting ribbons and presiding over weddings.

Comments?

Don't let the cat get yer tongues.